Securing device



July 6, 1948. A. s. GOLDBERG- 2,444,873

ISECURING'DEVICE Filed March 27, 1947 Patented July 6, 1948 SECURING DEVICE- Aaron S. Goldberg, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Bunting Glider Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 27, 1947, Serial No. 737,636

This invention relates generally to seat and back constructions for chairs and the like, and

more particularly to an improved construction of clip for securing in taut condition straps or web 'bing which extend transversely across the open 1 Claim. (01. 155-187) for securement to straps or webbing of substantial width, the clip being of such form and so quick detachably anchored to the supporting frame for the webbing as to uniformly distribute over the full width of the taut webs all of the strains and. stresses to which it is subjected in normal use.

Other objects and advantages of the clip of the present invention will appear more fully hereinafter, it being understood that the present invention consists substantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as described in detail hereinafter, as shown in the accompanying drawings and as finally pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a structural unit of an article of furniture such as a metal frame chair, showing the interlaced straps or webbing secured to the frame by the clips of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of one of the strap elements having secured to each end thereof one o'f the clips of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the strap element of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of one of the clips of the present invention;

Figure 7 is an end view of the clip;

Figure 8 is an edge view of an end portion of one of the clip-fitted straps; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the clip in its opened condition.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be observed that the clip of the present invention, designated generally by the reference numeral 10, is adapted to be secured to each end of a suitable length of strap or webbing l I, it being noted that each strap l l is of a substantial width and of a length somewhat longer than the transverse dimension of the open frame l2 over which said straps are stretched to form the seat or back surface of a chair, the top surface of a table or the surface of any other article consisting essentially of an open frame across which webbing is stretched to complete the same. In the particular form of unit shown in Figures 1 and 2 to illustrate the use of the clip of the present invention, the unit is in the form of a quadrilateral frame of tubular steel or other metal, the tubular frame being provided along each of its sides with longitudinally spaced apertures 13, these apertures being preferably each located in the inside, lower quadrant of the tube circumference.

The straps ll may be of any suitable material having the requisite flexible, water-proof and non-stretch characteristics, a preferred material being a plastic the base composition of which is vinylidene chloride and vinyl chloride, although other materials may also be employed for the webbing, such as leather, imitation leather, cloth and even thin flexible strips or bands of metal..

In accordance with the present invention, each of the straps H is provided at its opposite ends with a clip member ID of the form best shown in Figures 5 to 8, inclusive. As is shown in these figures, each clip member 10 is of a length approximately equal to the width of the strap II to which it is secured, the full length of the clip being bent along its median line M to provide a channel-shaped clip having the side wall. portions l5 and [6, each of these wall portions being com'plementally crimped lengthwise thereof, as at ii and I8. Struck out from the side wall portion It of the clip, approximately midway of its length, is a book-like element 19 having a freely extending terminal end 20 spaced laterally from the longitudinally extending median vertical plane of the clip, this plane being represented by the dotted line in Figure 7 and being that assumed by the strap l2 when it is fully extended between its clip-fitted ends as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The clips I!) are preferably stamped or die pressed out of suitably rigid sheet metal into the form shown in Figures 6 and 7, the side wall portions 15 and [6 thereof being spread apart. In applying the clips to the straps l I, each terminal end of a strap is inserted into the open mouth of a clip whereupon the crimped side wall portions of the latter are pressed tightly together (see Figures 5 and 8) to securely clamp the strap end therebetween, the crimpedwalls serving to increase the frictional retention of the clip on the strap. In so crimping the clip upon the strap,

the side wall portion l6 thereof is shifted laterally of the hook-like element l9 so that the terminal end 20 of the latter is freely spaced from the body of the clip, as most clearly appears in Figures and 8. It will be understood, of course, that the clips are secured to opposite ends of the strap in such manner that the elements [9 thereof-are disposed to the same side of the strap and present toward each other, as shown in Figure 4.

The hook-like elements i 9 of the clips respectively engage in the openings l3 formed in the frame member 12. In consequence of theract that these openings l3 are located in the inside, lower quadrant portion of the tubular frame member, it will be apparent that when the-clip elements [9 engage their respective openings in the frame, the flexible straps 'H are wrapped about the top, outer side and lower quadrant surfaces of the tubular frame members, thus providing adequate support for the straps at the sametime that the clips are disposed more or less' interiorly of the frame to conceal them from external View.

The several flexible straps l I employed to form the'supporting surface of the seat or back unit maybe'arranged as desired to' provide varying ornamental effects, although it is preferable to interlace them as shown through the used one setof'straps extending from front to rear edge of" their supporting frame and a secondset of "oth'enstraps extending from side to side of the "frame. In allcases, the "straps are secured in place under'sufiicient tension to reduce anytendency for the supporting surface formed thereof to sag," there being sufficient spring or give in the frame for the opposite sides thereof to be'drawn together sufficiently to rea'dily'effect interengagement of the-clip elements'in their respective openings l3. Thereafter, as the opposite sides of the frames spring apart upon release of the compres- "s'ive pressure thereon, the secured straps ll becomefquite taut and their securing clips ill become firmly seated in position. By virtue of the fact thatlthe clip bo'dy extends acrossthefull width" of the'stiap to which it is secured, all of the 's'tresses'and strains to which the strap is subject innormal use are uniformlydistributedover the""fullwidth thereof, in" addition'to which the clip of'the present invention,"due also to itsextended length width-'wise'of the strap, adequately supports the" strap against any tendency to'twist out'of its normalfiat plane when it 'isstretched 'across'its -supporting frame.

It will be understood, of course; that the present 'invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications whichmay-be made from time to time withoutdepartingfrom the general principles or real spirit of the present invention.

Also, it will be apparent that the construction of the present invention is not limited in its application only to the formation of seat and back units for chairs, but instead may be employed in other articles of furniture wherein a frame is fitted with a set of bands or straps to provide it wi-thasupporting surface. Accordingly it is intended toclaim the present invention-broadly as well as specifically as indicated in the present claim.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

--A furniture structure comprising an open frame -=of tubular-metal having a series of longitudinally spacedopenings formed therein each opening --on one side 'of said frame being paired with an opening on the opposite side of said frame, a "plurality" ofstrapsextending between opposite sides' of the frame, and means for anchoring the opposite ends of each strap to the frame, said -means including a channel-shaped clip. clamped to the-terminal end-of each strapfthe opposite sidewalls of each of said clips extending across thefu'll width of the strap and being respectively crimped complementally to each other-t0 securely lock the strap between. the wallsv when the same are clamped together, said clips being each additionally provided with'a hook-like element having a terminaLen'd spaced laterally' from a wall of the clip'and'engage'able in an opening formed in the metal tubing of-the frame-afore said, the crimpinlthe clip wall immediately adjacent said hook-like element being inl'theform of av groove extending the' full width of the clip, said groovev being adapted to receive therein the external cylindrical. surface of the metal tubing aforesaid whereby to maintain thelclip; securely in position with its axis paralleling thatvof the metal tubing. v

AARON 'S. GOLDBERG.

TRIEJFEREN'GES' CITED The following references are of record in the file of this vpatent UNITED STATES "PATENTS Number Name Date 788,335 Shepard Apr;- 25, 1905 1,455,302 Na-bers May-15,1923 Y 2,076,510 Ficks. v Aprgfi, 1937 2,266,466 Linder Dec.-16,--1941 FOREIGN' PATENTS Number Country "Date "17,096 'GreatBritain 1895 45,230 Sweden 'Apr[ 2; '1919 420,7 33 

